1918-1950 AD., Great Britain, England, Sunderland, Joplings Department Store, Halfpenny Token.

Great Britain, England, Sunderland, Hedley, Swan & Co., the store known as Joplings Department Store, ca. 1918-1950 AD.,
Halfpenny Token (25,5 mm / 5,35 g),
Obv.: •HEDLEY. SWAN & Co.• / JOPLINGS // 1/2 .
Rev.: •HEDLEY. SWAN & CO• / JOPLINGS // 1/2 .
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Joplings Department Store
The partnership of Thomas Jopling and Joseph Tuer would be the beginning of the longest established department store in Sunderland. In 1804 Thomas Jopling and Joseph Tuer opened and established a drapery business at 174-178 High Street East, named Jopling & Tuer. Thomas Jopling and Joseph Tuer owned the business until it was bought in 1882 by Stephen Moriarty Swan and Robert Hedley. They traded as Hedley, Swan & Co. but the store was known as Joplings.
The two storey store was fully stocked and expanding, by 1900 the staff numbered 100. On the ground floor gentlemen's clothing, ready made and tailored could be found. The first floor was used for ladies clothing, household furniture and the tailors workrooms. By 1919 the stores business had expanded so much they had to move to bigger premises.
The move was made to the top of High Street West, the heart of the towns commercial district. On the day of the grand opening the police were called in to help control the crowds as Joplings decided to have the biggest half price sale Sunderland had ever seen. The store also had their own money. Joplings money was tokens that people could get and pay for over a number of weeks. You could buy a £1 token for sixteen shillings and if you were really hard up you could sell the token for real money, at a discounted price of course.